What is stress?

There are the thoughts of some people who are experiencing stress.

"I just don't get a task finished anyone before I move on to the next thing. I keep forgetting where I'm up to, I have 20 things on the go at once and I'm not getting anywhere with any of them ...."

"I keep meaning to get a little time for myself but I never manage to. Someone always asks me to help out and I never have the heart to say no, but I end up feeling really tired and irritable ..."

"It just seems to be one crises after the next in my life. I've got a constant headache and stomach problems, I keep expecting something else to go wrong, I'm at the end of my tether ..."

Stress is the word that may people use when they are describing how the demands of their life seem to be becoming too great for them to cope. This ability to cope varies from person to person and what one person finds stressful may not be a problem for another. Whilst many of us suffer with stress at times in our day to day lives, long term stress is known to be bad for our health and we should try and gain some control over it.

This leaflet will tell you more about stress, it will help you to see whether stress is a problem for you. It makes simple suggestions about how to overcome stress and what other help may be available.

What are the signs of stress?

The signs of stress vary from person to person but here are some of the most common ones. Do you recognise any of them in yourself (please tick if appropriate)?

  Physical signs   Emotions   Effects on what you do
Headaches Feeling irritable Temper outbursts
Muscle tension or pain Feeling anxious or tense Over drinking/or smoking
Stomach problems Feeling in low mood Changes in eating habits
Sweating Feeling of apathy Withdrawing from usual activities
Feeling dizzy Feeling low in self esteem Becoming unreasonable
Bowel or bladder problems     Being forgetful or clumsy
Breathlessness or palpitations     Rushing around
Dry mouth        
Tingling in body        
Sexual problems        

If you have some of these signs it may be you are experiencing stress. They are some of the short term signs but long term health risks from stress are serious and include, heart disease, high blood pressure, severe depression, stroke, migraine, severe anxiety arthritis, asthma, low infection resistance, bowel problem, stomach problems especially ulcers, skin problems including asthma, fatigue and sleep problems.

Can life events cause stress?

Some things that happen in your life can be stressful particularly life changes. If you have had one or more of the following life events occurring over the last year you will probably be more likely to be stressed and should take care to avoid further stressors, and try to take `extra care` of yourself. (Please tick if appropriate)

Death of partner Major changes at work
Divorce or relationship breakdown Partner stops or begins work
Jail term Death of close friend
Death of close family member Change in living condition
Marriage Problems at work, eg (lack of job security, several jobs, no satisfaction at work)
Loss of employment Disagreement with friends
Health problems Change in leisure activities
Pregnancy Change in church/spiritual habits
New employment Minor legal problems
High financial commitments Problems with neighbours/noise
Serious debts Holidays/Christmas family gatherings

Is there a type of person who is more likely to experience stress?

Studies have shown that some people are more likely to experience stress than others. These people are know as `type A` personalities. They tend to be more competitive, inpatient, have tight time schedules compared to `type B` personalities who are more relaxed and `laid back` in their style. Those people who are more prone to stress may have to try harder to use some of the stress management approaches suggested here to tackle their natural tendency to stress.

How can I help myself to cope with stress?

Studies have told us that the first step in tackling stress is to become aware that it is a problem for you. The next stage is to make a plan to take the causes and effects of stress. Here are some practical ways to take control of stress.

Can I learn to be more relaxed?

Relaxation is a skill like any other which needs to be learned and takes time. Relaxation exercises teach deep muscle relaxation, and many people find it very helpful in reducing overall levels of tension.

What further help is available?

Sometimes a good source of help is to talk to family or close friends, but there are also others ways you may get help.Your family doctor is probably the best person to discuss your difficulties with in the first instance, this is particularly important if your problem is not going away or getting worse. You may be offered counselling or if your problem seems to becoming more severe you may be referred to a mental health worker.

We will be able to provide relaxation tapes if you would like to further improve this skill. You may want to enrol in a local yoga or aromatherapy course, your local library will have information on courses. If you feel your stress problem may now be a more serious anxiety or depression, information on anxiety and depression is available.

There are also many books available on coping with stress, these can be brought or could be borrowed from libraries, who have a special section on mental health problems. The following people are useful contacts.

The following organisations and help lines may also be useful:

Some useful books to buy or borrow from your local library: